Suspect was chased out of Dollar Store on Decoto Road in Union City.

DeMario Hawkins, of Oakland, left, describes how he and Sammy Johnson, of Fremont, right, helped apprehend Eugene Melendres Ramos, outside the Dollar Tree store where Ramos, according to Union City Police, allegedly sexually assaulted a two year old on Wednesday, Dec. 1, during a news conference, in Union City, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010. The two men were honored by the police department for their heroics and received certificates and coffee mugs. (Anda Chu/Staff)

UNION CITY -- A registered sex offender was arrested on suspicion of raping a 2-year-old girl in a Dollar Tree store as her relatives were Christmas shopping in the next aisle, police said Thursday.

Eugene Ramos, 36, of Union City, was arrested Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of kidnapping, rape, sexual acts with a child and false imprisonment. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, and the case will go to the District Attorney's Office today.

Ramos was convicted in 2003 for the sexual assault of a 7-year-old in Hayward, police said.

On Thursday, police honored two men who prevented Ramos from fleeing the scene.

Sammy Johnson, 55, of Fremont, was in the store Wednesday afternoon when the crime occurred, and 24-year-old DeMario Hawkins was outside soliciting donations.

"They were absolutely instrumental in the capture of the suspect from yesterday," police Capt. Brian Foley said. "Without their help, the suspect would not be in custody."

The incident began about 1 p.m. when a man grabbed the girl as she returned a ribbon to a Christmas aisle in the store, momentarily leaving the sight of her grandmother and aunt, police said.

"This is not a case of inattentive parents or guardians. "... This happened in the space of 20 to 30 seconds," Foley said.

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The man had the child pinned down in the aisle and was sexually assaulting her when he was spotted by the grandmother, police said. The child's pants and diaper had been removed and she was being straddled by the man, who had pulled down his pants and underwear, police said.

The man was pulling up his pants as he fled the store while being chased by the girl's grandmother and aunt, police said.

"She (the aunt) was just hysterical, holding this baby and screaming, 'Please, please, help me,' " Johnson said.

He and Hawkins thought there had been a purse snatching, and intervened.

Hawkins tried to stop Ramos, who squared off and swung at him. Hawkins punched back and hit Ramos on the cheek.

"I reeled back, swung at him and kind of decked him," Hawkins said.

Johnson then tackled Ramos and kept him pinned down.

"I couldn't do nothing else," he said. "I didn't care -- I was going to get him."

BART police Officer Kory Frost was flagged down, and he took Ramos into custody.

"A lot of people are saying that I did a good job, and I appreciate that," Frost, a 28-year veteran, said in a statement. "But the heroes are the citizens, not me."

Both Johnson and Hawkins, though, said they don't feel like heroes.

"I just felt like I was happy to help," Hawkins said.

The girl was treated and released from Children's Hospital Oakland with minor injuries.

Richard Hawkins, a homeless man who collects money for a group called A Hope For Love and is not related to DeMario, said he was outside Safeway on Wednesday. He usually solicits outside Dollar Tree, but DeMario Hawkins had beat him to that store Wednesday morning.

"It should have been me," he said. "I probably would have been in jail right now because I would have beaten the (expletive) out of him."

The store manager would not comment on the assault, telling reporters to contact corporate headquarters.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crime to call Sgt. Jared Rinetti at 510-675-5229 or the tip line at 510-675-5207, or e-mail tips@unioncity.org.